beat (beats plural & 3rd person present) (beating present participle) (beaten past participle )
The form beat is used in the present tense and is the past tense.
1 verb If you beat someone or something, you hit them very hard.
My wife tried to stop them and they beat her... V n
They were beaten to death with baseball bats. V n to n
2 verb To beaton, at, or against something means to hit it hard, usually several times or continuously for a period of time.
(=pound)
There was dead silence but for a fly beating against the glass... V against n
Nina managed to free herself and began beating at the flames with a pillow... V at n
The rain was beating on the windowpanes. V on n, Also V n
Beat is also a noun., n-sing usu the N of n
...the rhythmic beat of the surf.
beating n-sing usu the N of n
...the silence broken only by the beating of the rain.
3 verb When your heart or pulse beats, it continually makes regular rhythmic movements.
I felt my heart beating faster. V
Beat is also a noun., n-count usu with supp
He could hear the beat of his heart..., Most people's pulse rate is more than 70 beats per minute.
beating n-sing usu the N of n
I could hear the beating of my heart.
4 verb If you beat a drum or similar instrument, you hit it in order to make a sound. You can also say that a drum beats.
When you beat the drum, you feel good. V n
...drums beating and pipes playing. V
Beat is also a noun., n-sing usu the N of n
...the rhythmical beat of the drum.
5 n-count The beat of a piece of music is the main rhythm that it has.
usu sing, the N
...the thumping beat of rock music.
6 n-count In music, a beat is a unit of measurement. The number of beats in a bar of a piece of music is indicated by two numbers at the beginning of the piece.
usu pl
It's got four beats to a bar.
→
upbeat
→
downbeat
7 verb If you beat eggs, cream, or butter, you mix them thoroughly using a fork or beater.
Beat the eggs and sugar until they start to thicken. V n
8 verb When a bird or insect beats its wings or when its wings beat, its wings move up and down.
Beating their wings they flew off... V n
Its wings beat slowly. V
9 verb If you beat someone in a competition or election, you defeat them.
In yesterday's games, Switzerland beat the United States two-one... V n
She was easily beaten into third place. V n into n
10 verb If someone beats a record or achievement, they do better than it.
He was as eager as his Captain to beat the record. V n
11 verb If you beat something that you are fighting against, for example an organization, a problem, or a disease, you defeat it.
(=conquer)
It became clear that the Union was not going to beat the government... V n
12 verb If an attack or an attempt is beatenoff or is beatenback, it is stopped, often temporarily.
usu passive
The rescuers were beaten back by strong winds and currents... be V-ed adv
South Africa's ruling National Party has beaten off a right-wing challenge. V adv n
13 verb If you say that one thing beats another, you mean that it is better than it.
INFORMAL no cont
Being boss of a software firm beats selling insurance... V n
14 verb If you say you can't beat a particular thing you mean that it is the best thing of its kind.
no cont
You can't beat soap and water for cleansing. V n
15 verb To beat a time limit or an event means to achieve something before that time or event.
They were trying to beat the midnight deadline... V n
16 n-count A police officer's or journalist's beat is the area for which he or she is responsible.
17 verb You use beat in expressions such as `It beats me' or `What beats me is' to indicate that you cannot understand or explain something.
INFORMAL, SPOKEN `What am I doing wrong, anyway?'—`Beats me, Lewis.'... V n
18
→
beaten
→
beaten-up
→
beating
→
beat-up
19 If you intend to do something but someone beats you to it, they do it before you do.
beat sb to it phrase V inflects
Don't be too long about it or you'll find someone has beaten you to it.
20 A police officer on the beat is on duty, walking around the area for which he or she is responsible.
on the beat phrase usu n PHR, v-link PHR
The officer on the beat picks up information; hears cries for help; makes people feel safe.
21 If you beat timeto a piece of music, you move your hand or foot up and down in time with the music. A conductor beats time to show the choir or orchestra how fast they should sing or play the music.
beat time phrase V inflects
(=keep time)
He beats time with hands and feet.
22
→
to beat someone black and blue
→
black
→
to beat about the bush
→
bush
→
to beat or knock the living daylights out of someone
→
daylights
→
to beat the drum for someone or something
→
drum
→
to beat someone at their own game
→
game
→
to beat a retreat
→
retreat
→
to beat, kick or knock the shit out of someone
→
shit beat down
1 phrasal verb When the sun beats down, it is very hot and bright.
2 phrasal verb When the rain beats down, it rains very hard.
(=pour down)
Even in the winter with the rain beating down, it's nice and cosy in there. V P
3 phrasal verb If you beat down a person who is selling you something, you force them to accept a lower price for it than they wanted to get.
(=knock down)
A fair employer, when arranging for the pay of a carpenter, does not try to beat him down... V n P
Beat down the seller to the price that suits you. V P n (not pron) beat out
1 phrasal verb If you beat out sounds on a drum or similar instrument, you make the sounds by hitting the instrument.
(=tap out)
Drums and cymbals beat out a solemn rhythm. V P n (not pron)
2 phrasal verb If you beat out a fire, you cause it to go out by hitting it, usually with an object such as a blanket.
His brother beat out the flames with a blanket... V P n (not pron)
She managed to beat the fire out. V n P
3 phrasal verb If you beat out someone in a competition, you defeat them.
(mainly AM)
Indianapolis beat out nearly 100 other cities as the site for a huge United Airlines maintenance center... V P n (not pron)
If we are certain a rival will beat us out, we are wide open to jealousy. V n P beat out of phrasal verb If someone beats another person out of something, they get that thing by deceiving the other person or behaving dishonestly.
If he could beat his uncle out of a dollar he'd do it. V n P P n beat up
1 phrasal verb If someone beats a person up, they hit or kick the person many times.
Then they actually beat her up as well... V n P
The government supporters are beating up anyone they suspect of favouring the demonstrators. V P n (not pron)
2 phrasal verb If you beatyourselfup about something, you worry about it a lot or blame yourself for it.
INFORMAL Tell them you don't want to do it any more. Don't beat yourself up about it... V pron-refl P prep
I don't beat myself up. I don't deal with things I can't handle. V pron-refl P
beating-up (beatings-up plural) n-count
There had been no violence, no beatings-up until then. beat up on
1 phrasal verb If someone beats up on a person or beats on them, they hit or kick the person many times.
(AM)
He beat up on my brother's kid one time. V P P n, Also V P n
2 phrasal verb If someone beats up on another person, they threaten them or treat them unkindly. (AM) INFORMAL She had to beat up on every customer just to get the bills paid. V P P n
beat-up
A beat-up car or other object is old and in bad condition.
INFORMAL adj ADJ n
(=battered)
...a beat-up old Fiat 131.
dead-beat , dead beat
If you are dead-beat, you are very tired and have no energy left.
INFORMAL adj v-link ADJ
(=shattered)
